The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-24
EL0PING WITH A NEGRO.
A GIRL RUNS AWAY WITH HER
FATHERS COACHMAN.

She was Unable to Account for Her In
| fatuation, Although Her Eyes We're
Open to the Folly Of Her Act-She
| Leaves q Letter.
| From the Netc York sun.
! GLENDoNvILLE, PA, May 21.-The eX-
! element of the hour here is the elopement
of young society belle with an uncouth
! cotfee-colored negro, which was augmented
| by the hot pursuit by the girls family and
/ friends, and their failure to either overtake
! or capture the runaways. James Barclay
| Wesner is the oldest and wealthiest resident
of this town. With his wife and only child,
Ida, beautiful and accomplished girl of 20,
| he occupied the handsomeSt and most ele-
| gantly furnished residence in Glendonville.
In the rear of the beautiful grounds sur
rounding their home stands modest-loolling
| two-story brick building, which wasoccupied
| by Bill Thompson, a negro, who was en-
| employed as gardner and hoStler by Mr..
| Wesner. Thompson is about 81 years OF age,
and married, but never had any children.
He was well educated, pleasing talker, and
had an inexhaustible store of wit
and interesting stories about his
a most ungainly appearance was well
thought of III the community. Mr.. Wesner,
| although leading q retired life, was largely
| interested i'll some real estate matters which
| called him away frequently. On every oc
casion of this kind it was his custom to have
| his pair of horses hitched up and be driven
! to the depot, some distance away. His daugh-
ter, who was passionately fond of riding and
| driving, never failed to accompany her father
and Thompson on these trips, she invaria-
| bly, driving both to the depot and return.
Wesner had been away for the past week,
! and on Thursday morning his wife received
word to have Thompson meet him at the
depot on the arrival of the 4 p m. train
| that day. Soon after noon Thompson began
to get the horses ready, when Mrs. Wesner
| lnterfered, saying it was too early Then
it was learned that Ida had previously ex-
| pressed a desire to start an hour or two
earlier, that she might have drive through
the country before going to the depot. AS
| every wish of the girl was gratifed this was
no exception, and an hour later they drove
away. Several days prior to this the girl had
| secretly taken from her wardrobe some of
| her best clothing and deposited them in
| house midway between her home and the
| depot Twenty minutes after they left the
| Wesner mansion they drew up at this house,
| took the packages, and drove to the depot
| Just in time to catch the next western bound
| train Before the train started, Thompson
| asked bystander TO look out for the team
until he or Mr.. Wesner came for it. Pre-
| ciSely at 4 o'clock Mr. WeSner arrived and
saw the team, and after five or ten minutes
| impatient waiting for Thompson, who he
supposed was somewhere in the neighbor-
| hood, he jumped in and drove home without
| him.
| AS Mr.. Wesner drove up TO the house his
| wife saw that he was alone, and the terrible
| suspicion of an accident or elopement quick
| ly dawned upon her. She rushed to the
| gate, flung herself into her husbands arms,
and exclaimed, where's ldaw Mr.. Wesner
was as yet in total ignorance of everything
and maintained his usual compoSllre until
| he learned what the trouble was Then.
after hearing what his wife suspected, he
| hurried to his daughters room to see if any,
thing had been removed In q conspicuous
| place on the marble slab of the bureau lay
the following letter:
THURSDAY Noon.
DEAREST MAMMA-Ere you have the slightest
| intimation of my conduct, what l am fully
| convinced the world will call disgrace will be
| the wife of William Thompson, and so far away
from NIX once happy home THAT all efforts you
| and detr papa may make to reach me will be in
| vain. That | have now and forever forfeited
| that parental affection, which was so lavishly
bestowed on me ever and always that have
| made the home of my childhood desolate by
| robbing you and papa of that comfort and hap
| piness which know my presence always gave
| is true, but my passion was no longer under the
dominion of reason, and while do not attempt
| to mention any circumstances that would in
any degree palliate my conduct, for that is i'm
| possible, yet in pity for my feelings and the
future whatever that will be, let me say that
| irresistible power over me- which
even now cannot explain.
was happy only in his presence. Seeing that
| was completely at his command he proposed
| plODpmpnt and cE1,D
| ly reproached me, but his solicitations grew
| more fervent, and at last consented The plans
| were arranged week ago, and will be success
| fully carried out to-day. The full measure of
my blind infatuation will be more quickly real
| lied by YOU and you may ask, did | not know
Thompson was already married." You also
| might say, IF the perfdious wretch abandoned
the faithful wife he leaves behind, what though
| he was my equal could l expect from himyn
| These questions are now too late l weighed
| them all, and knew | was doing wrong but was
| powerlesS to prevent what is now too late to be
| undone. Good-by-foreyer good-by. Your af-
| fectionate, and perhaps unfortunate IDA
1t is impossible to describe the feelings of
the unhappy parents as they gazed on the
written acknowledgement of their only
child's ruin and disgrace, and in company
with friends they started in hot haste to the
| station and boarded a wcSt-bound train,
| telegraphing inquiries ahead. Their search
was kept up until late last night, but no
| trace of the clipping couple could be found.
| 1t Is possible that they went to some Of the
large cities, where detection will not be so
easy, especially in the negro settlements.
The brOken-hearted parents returned
| home in the hope that, ere it is too late. the
| good sense of the daughter will assert itself
| that she will see the error of her ways and
return home Thompson had been employed
by MIR. Wesner over three years and was
faithful and trusted man. At no time was
there anything ever seen in the way of
familiarity or undue intimacy between him
and Ida that would arouse suspicion.
! Thompson's wife will be taken care of by
| the Wesners
More Effective Persuasion.
Elnrt the Stt1 Et.cr,icfsl.n chro,, iclo